Shur'tugal
by Sasinister
Summary: Epilogue of the Inheritence cycle, ca.1000 years later. Michael gets picked off the street by a strange man, who introduces him to a world of magic and dragons. Canon as well as own characters. Please give it a chance and read it. Leave reviews. Be critical. I want to know my mistakes. Thanks
1. Chapter 1

Please read and review I'd love to know what I can change for the better with my writing. Thanks.

Michael looked behind him once more. The man was still behind him. He turned a corner and started running, almost falling several times as he stumbled down the road. When he reached the next crossroad, he turned another corner and fled into a grocery shop. He looked out of the window and saw, to his relief, that the man was nowhere to be seen. He started walking among the shelves slipping items under his ragged jacket, cautious not to be seen. He was just slipping a bottle of water into his pocket, when a large hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into a corner. The bottle slipped out of his hand and on to the floor. Michael looked up terrified. The man holding him was the same one who had been following him earlier. The man had short greying hair, a close-cropped beard and a face that seemed to have been molded by wind and time. To his astonishment, the man was smiling. "Don't run away will you? I'm not going to rat you out.", the man said quietly. "What do you want?" "Come on, I'll buy you the food. You won't have to steal It that way." Michael looked at the stranger, suspicious. He didn't reply.

The man picked up the bottle and had Michael empty his pockets. It was no use trying to run away. The man would just catch him again. He was too weak, so he just did as he was told. He gave the man everything he had stolen and went with him to the checkout. The lady behind the desk eyed him suspiciously, but didn't say anything.

Outside, the man turned to look at Michael: "Would you like to come and have a cup of coffee? You look as if though you could use something warm."

Michael wanted to decline, but he hadn't eaten in two days and the prospect of a warm cup of coffee was stronger than his will. So he accepted.

The man glanced at Michael as he made his way towards home. The boy was walking alongside him with shuffling steps, tripping from time to time. After a few minutes, they stood in front of a small house, whose door the man unlocked and opened. They entered and Michael followed the man into the kitchen. "What's your name?", the man asked. "Michael..." "I'm John." Michael nodded. While the man went about, making coffee, Michael stood in the doorway, watching him. He was confused, because he couldn't see the man's motive. John made coffee and set it on the table. He handed Michael a cup, which the boy accepted. "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Why... why are you doing this?", Michael finally asked, "Why are you helping me?" "Because you need help." Michael looked at his feet. "Where are your parents?" "Dead." Where's the rest of your family then? You must have grand-parents!" "Dead." Michael looked up at the man: "I'm alone." "You shouldn't steal though. You can always ask for help!" Michael looked down again. His feet began twirling and his vision went out of focus, so he held on to the chair. Still, he felt himself hit the floor and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

When Michael opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. It took him a few moments to figure out how he had gotten there and by the time he did, the door had opened and the man, John, had entered. He handed him a bowl that contained a peculiar smelling mixture : "Here drink this... It tastes..weird, but it'll keep you on your feet." Michael nodded and put the bowl to his mouth. He gagged when the... something touched his tongue, but managed to gouge the whole thing down. He shuddered when he handed the bowl back to John. John was smiling at Michael's reaction to the brew. He remembered his first time eating it vividly!

He left the room and deposited the bowl in the kitchen. When he came back, the boy was getting out of bed. He walked over and gently pushed the boy down again. "Your in no state to be running around. Not as long as your falling off chairs, unconcious! Just rest..." Michael reluctantly obeyed and lay back down. It didn't take long until he was fast asleep.

When he woke the next morning, he found John sitting crosslegged in the middle of the room. Michael didn't move or even breathe overly loudly, but still, the instant he was fully awake, John spoke to him:"So, you're awake." He got up, and walked over to Michael. "Come on, we'll eat something and then i'll show you a ... a collection.. of mine..." He took Michael by the shoulder and led him into the kitchen, where they ate breakfast. Michael was getting suspicious of John by now. Nothing the guy did made sense. He bought the things Michael was going to steal, offered Michael, a thief he didn't know, coffee, made him eat the most disgusting...something he'd ever tasted and now wanted to show him some collection. Michael didn't really trust the guy.

When they'd done eating, John led Michael into a room in which stood fifteen or so pedestrials with a highly polished and differently colored stone on each one. They were different sizes too. Some were as large as a fullgrown deer, while the smallest one was merely the size of a coffee mug. Michael stumbled as he followed John across the room and would have fallen, had John not caught him. "Go ahead touch them. They're hollow, so if you tap them, each one will produce a different sound. Try it.

Michael walked to the first pedestrial and cautiously tapped the huge red stone lying on it. His fingers produced a deep, but clear note. John had said, that they would sound, but Michael was still taken aback by it.

"Go ahead, try the other ones...", John reassured him, which didn't really reassure him!

He continued down the line of pedestrials tapping each one and listening to the sound it produced. When he glanced over to John sometimes, he noticed the man's expression becoming more and more strained and...sad? Michael started to wonder, what John had expected.

When he arrived at the second to last stone, he heard John turn and begin to leave. When he touched the last stone, the stone, a tiny little , very dark blue orb, suddenly moved. Michael screamed and jumped back. He heard John coming back very fast. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you. There's nothing dangerous about it." "You knew this would happen?",Michael asked horrified. "I was hoping it would!" "Wha...What is happening? Is that really...a... a stone...?"

"No it isn't. It's a dragon egg...your dragon egg!"


	3. Chapter 3

"You're crazy! Dragons don't exist. They're a myth."

"A few hundred years ago, they weren't. Everyone thought they existed!"

"Well... they were wrong! Science proved it long ago. I'm leaving." Michael turned to leave, but at that moment, John murmured something inaudible and Michael's legs snapped together and went rigid. He didn't fall though. He couldn't. He was ...somehow... held firmly in place. "Wha...?"

"Magic. Dragons, elves,dwarwes and ...Urgals, those you probably don't know, all exist. So do magic, telepathy and lot's of other things and creatures mankind has declared mythology."

"How could nobody notice that and why would you know?",Michael asked unbelievingly.

"Because I am one of those things. I am a dragon rider. And you Michael will soon be too!", he looked at Michael and said, "Come on, If you won't believe me, I'll show you." He gave Michael a coat he could have fit in twice and led him through the winding streats of Belton until they stood at the very edge of the city. There, John stopped and stood motionless for some time, his eyes unfocused. After a few moments, he said:"He'll meet us behind that hill. Come on."

"Wait, wait, wait... who?"

"My dragon. Don't worry, he's not dangerous. Just...be polite.", he smiled, "His name is Vigr."

When they came to the top of the hillock, John looked up and stood motionless again. This time though, he started murmuring words. However hard Michael tried though, he could't keep hold of them in his memory. After some time, John started to walk down the hill to a small group of trees. When they were under the trees, he stopped. He spoke two words and a huge ...thing appeared in front of them. Michael gasped and would have screamed if John hadn't clasped his hand over his mouth. _Do not fear me. I won't harm you._ , a voice spoke in his head. _I am Vigr. My rider tells me you don't believe in dragons and such. Do you now?_

To John's surprise Michael fell to his knees: "I do. How could someone hide something like this?" He motioned at the dragon and at John.

"Once again, the answer is magic. Thousands of years ago, there was a time when elves, dragons, dwarves and humans lived together in peace. The riders, people like me kept the peace until one of our own betrayed us and tried to enslave the world. Now we have long since rebuilt, but we thought it better to seperate us from the humans, so as to protect them. We cast spells, that make it impossible for any human to remember us or anything related. It is harsh and sad, but we deemed it necessary.

Come now, we must get back, to make sure we are there, when your egg hatches."

"Goodbye Vigr...",Michael said, very unsure of himself. They then trudged back up the hill and down into the city of Belton.


End file.
